AATCC Standard Laundry Test

To avoid problems of under and over-cured ink on textile materials, it is best to have a Standard Operating Procedure in place and assure that the SOPs are adhered to at all times. Part of the SOP involves laundry test to assure that the ink on your substrates will hold up in the laundry.

Begin by printing four extra pieces during a normal print run, noting the specifics of the job. You will need a “control” sample that is perhaps the 12th item to be printed. Then take a sample that is printed next, one from the middle of the print run and finally the last one to be printed. Place the “control” sample aside for later comparison.

Now, you will want to launder the three other sample using the AATCC Standard Laundry Test originally developed in 1984 by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. Then compare the three test prints against the “control” sample. It there are substantial differences, it is a sign that something went wrong and shows that you need improvements.

The AATCC test was established to develop a consistent set of test conditions for all test methods involving home laundering. Based on the input of a number of AATCC and ASTM committees and a survey of actual consumer practice, a set of guidelines was developed for the standardization of laundering conditions in AATCC test methods. These guidelines have been approved by all AATCC committees involved in laundering test methods and updated as technology, washing machines and laundry detergents have changed over the years.

You can download the most current version at no cost here. It is a four page document with all the information you need to build your own Standard Operating Procedure for laundering.

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